as of fine stature,
easy bearing, with long straight hair, and wearing worked handkerchiefs
on their heads. At a little distance it seemed as if these were made of
silk, like the gauze veil with which the Spaniards were familiar, from
Moorish usage.

"Others," he says, "wore larger handkerchiefs round their waists, like
the panete of the Spaniards." By this phrase he means a full garment
hanging over the knees, either trousers or petticoats. These people
were whiter in color than the Indians he had seen before. They all wore
something at the neck and arms, with many pieces of gold at the neck.
The canoes were much larger than he had seen, better in build and
lighter; they had a cabin in the middle for the princes and their women.

He made many inquiries for gold, but was told he must go farther on, but
he was advised not to go there, because his men would be in danger
of being eaten. At first, Columbus supposed that this meant that
the inhabitants of the gold-bearing countries were cannibals, but he
satisfied himself afterwards that the natives meant that they would be
eaten by beasts. With regard to pearls, also, he got some information
that he should find them when he had gone farther west and farther
north.

After these agreeable courtesies, the little fleet raised its anchors
and sailed west. Columbus sent one caravel to investigate the river.
Finding that he should not succeed in that direction, and that he had no
available way either north or south, he leaves by the same entrance
by which he had entered. The water is still very fresh, and he is
satisfied, correctly as we know, that these currents were caused by the
entrance of the great river of water.

On the thirteenth of August he leaves the island by what he calls the
northern mouth of the river (Boca Grande), and begins to strike salt
water again.

At this part of Columbus's letter there is a very curious discussion of
temperature, which shows that this careful observer, even at that time,
made out the difference between what are called isothermal curves and
the curves of latitude. He observes that he cannot make any estimate
of what his temperature will be on the American coast from what he has
observed on the coast of Africa.

He begins now to doubt whether the world is spherical, and is disposed
to believe that it is shaped like a pear, and he tries to make a theory
of the difference of temperature from this suggestion. We hardly need to
follow thi